June 12, 2014

Guyana: Man dies of suspected chikungunya complications

While the local Ministry of Health has not confirmed any deaths resulting from complications associated with the Chikungunya virus, suspicions have arisen that suggest that there has been at least one related death here.

According to reports reaching this publication, the passing of 39-year-old Cordel Carvil Duncan at the St Joseph Mercy Hospital on Sunday last could be associated with the virus.

The dead man is son of long standing trade unionist, Carvil Duncan, who in an invited comment yesterday was in no position to shed light on his son’s cause of death.

According to Duncan, his son had spent a brief period in St Lucia and upon his return had complained of feeling unwell. It is believed that the young man could have contracted the virus during his stay in the Caribbean territory.

St. Lucian health officials have expressed concern about the spread of the virus there.

The virus is one that has symptoms similar to dengue fever, complete with fever, headache and long-lasting joint and muscle pains. While unable to relate the symptoms his son exhibited, Duncan told this publication that “all he (my son) said to me is that he wasn’t feeling well. Any concerned father if his child says he is not feeling well would want to take him to the hospital and that is what I did.

“I took him to the hospital and they ran a series of tests; I don’t know what tests they did on him and I don’t want to speculate, but the one thing I know for certain is that he is dead and he will be buried on Tuesday,” said Duncan.

Comments

While the local Ministry of Health has not confirmed any deaths resulting from complications associated with the Chikungunya virus, suspicions have arisen that suggest that there has been at least one related death here.

According to reports reaching this publication, the passing of 39-year-old Cordel Carvil Duncan at the St Joseph Mercy Hospital on Sunday last could be associated with the virus.

The dead man is son of long standing trade unionist, Carvil Duncan, who in an invited comment yesterday was in no position to shed light on his son’s cause of death.

According to Duncan, his son had spent a brief period in St Lucia and upon his return had complained of feeling unwell. It is believed that the young man could have contracted the virus during his stay in the Caribbean territory.

St. Lucian health officials have expressed concern about the spread of the virus there.

The virus is one that has symptoms similar to dengue fever, complete with fever, headache and long-lasting joint and muscle pains. While unable to relate the symptoms his son exhibited, Duncan told this publication that “all he (my son) said to me is that he wasn’t feeling well. Any concerned father if his child says he is not feeling well would want to take him to the hospital and that is what I did.

“I took him to the hospital and they ran a series of tests; I don’t know what tests they did on him and I don’t want to speculate, but the one thing I know for certain is that he is dead and he will be buried on Tuesday,” said Duncan.